Loading machine



LOADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 14 1926. LQQ

J. F. JOY 1 LOADING MACHI NE Filed Jan. 24. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In vauro-z natural be Patented Sept.` 14, 1926. l

l UNITED srA'jrEs l 1,599,819- IPATENTI'V. OFFICE.

f JOSEPH P. JoY, or FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY ME'SNE ASSIGNMENTS, i To JoY MANUEAcPUnINe COMPANY, or FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, A conPonA;

' '.rIoN on DELAWARE.

- LOADING MACHINE.

Applieeaon mea January a4, 1924. serial Ne. css,1s4.

- The resent invention relates to certain new an useful improvements.- in loading machines of the type shown and described in my` United States .Letters Patent No. 151,306,064v granted June 10,l 1919, wllyein means is provided "to gather the coa from the floor. .of a mine and transfer it to conveniently vplaced vcars for transportation vfrom themme. l l

. undercut the face of the vein to a depth Substantially equal to--the'width of the vein,

' after which -the coal is blasted so as to.V

break-falaigequantitywof the coal from vits Aand to leave al eat quantity .of the coal standing-.in a Sl attered semi- .solid state;4 I am aware that machinesv have been proposed having inclined. 'conveyors with' gatheringmechanism atthe lower for- 20 ward ends thereof whereby the loose coal is gathered onqto the. conveyor and then transferred byy means ofthe conveyor to conveniently.- placed cars positioned at the rear end f of the conveyor. Various mechanical contrivances such as machine picks and the like, aswell as miners working with picks, have beenI utilized for breakingdown the standing shattered coal into the path of the gathexpensiveimachinery 'or' entailing labor of the'most arduous character. e

5' It is the primary object of the present inventionl to providev a machine of the class described vembodying-a gathering niecha` Vonly .movingthe loose coal on to the con'- veyor,but {also capable of penetrating and .'larring the' standing shattered coal Sopas toA conveyor. x

y. '-zy Brieiiystated mechanism lvery similar in c aracter to t atset'forth mf? vmy'fabcve mentioned patent, but embodies moreeiicient gathering arms 4for the 'operaitionl of penetrating andy breakin down the Standin' shattered coal and emp oys a radi# .j l"cally dierent form of mechamsm for mov'-y ing .Y he gathering'arms in the substantially l.' 50

freniform orbital paths;

gto ythe accompanying rawings, in which-f; Figure '1 lis a Side elevational view of a In the mining of coal it iscustomary to of portable truc er'mg mechanism, involving lconsiderable` nism characterized .byiits capability yo f notreak the same` down 4into lumps ofdesira-- ble sizes yand then fconveyxthe ,samev onto the f 1 i c These and other objectsiwillappear iny the Tfollowing' speciicationl reference being had Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly broken j i' away, of the #machine shown in Figure 1,

Figure '3 ,1s' an enlarged transverse sectifolliral view taken substantially on line -3-3 o 1 re 1, with parts broken away and vre-l i Figure 4 is anenlarged fragmentary Sec-.

tional view taken Substantially on line. 4 4 of Figure 2, 1

Fig. 5 is a detail indicating the area swept over by one of the gathering arms.

. Like'reference numerals indicate corres? ponding4 parts throughout the several views. Referring more in detail to the drawings, the'machine may embody any suitable form veyor and the rest of the mechanism is mounted so that the machine .mabereadily transported from place to place 1n 'the mine. As shownz this truck is provided with vaxles isa' l along the rails -8'-' of the mine tracks.

embodying a forward inclined portionwhich extends to a point in close proximity to the mine floor, and

a-rear substantially horizontal portion lwhich vdischarges at a'fw point .above the pit car in the usual manner. i As the particularl mountin of the con# veyorhdoesnot form any part o the presentv invention the same is not shown or described indetail, but, asin the construction ofmy ,above fr mentioned Tli'e conveyor embodies `the-usual iarallel,

` chains -11-` which travel above an below.v 'y

a lSuitable partition and which are patent v' 'suitable1 means v shouldbeprovided as at -10 for raising-l and/lowering the forward end ofthe oon- -veyorsol as to permit ready vmoving- .of'the y machine from placel to place when not in uee'and to. bring. the gathering mechanism f close proximity to the door duringits` operation. y,

passing aroundsuitablexsprockets rovided sprocket wheel suitably driven by means of a. chain gearing -16- with the motor -17- mounted on the truck -5-. Said chain lltogether with the bars -13- actuated thereby is termed .the conveyor flight.

At the lower forward end ofthe conveyor -9- there is provided a gathering head which embodies a hollow shoe or apron -18- which is adapted to rest and slide upon the floor of the mine and which is of a width substantially reater than the width of the conveyor flig t and its carrying structure and embodies the extending slde portions disposed at opposite sides of the lower end of the conveyor and a forward portion disposed in front of the latter.

The side portions of the shoe 1S- are provided with longitudinally arranged parallel elongated slots ---19-- in which are slidably and pivotally mounted the depending pins -20- of castings -21- forming part of the gathering arms. Each gathering arm additionally includes a linger member -22- of ick blade formation which has its rear enti)pivotally mounted upon a horizontal axis as at -23- for vertical swinging movement within a socket -24- `provided in the casting -21-. Each finger Q2- ispreferably provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting spikes Q5- adapted to assist in breaking up and dislodging the standing shattered coal. At a point directly above the pin -20-, the casting -21- is provided with an upstanding pin Q6-1 and a further upstanding pin -27- is also provided o n the casting *21- outwardly of the pin -26- substantially in alinement with the finger -22-, for a purpose which will presently become apparent.v For the purpose of imparting differentially-reciprocating movements to said arms through said pins -26- and `-27-, that is to say, la slidewise movement through' the pin -26-' and a to-andfro\m'ovement through the pin 27 the following mephanism is provided:

A shaft 28- is suitably mounted in bearings beneath the bottom of the conveyor 9'-` at a point rearwardly of the gathering head, and a relatively large spur gear -29- is' secured upon each end of this shaft adjacent the sides of the conveyor as will be seen from an inspection of Figures 1, 2, and 3. The shaft is driven by means of' a suitable sprocket gearing .-30-l from the motor -17-, and each gear -29- meshes with an idler pinion 31- suitably mounted upon Astub shafts carried b the sides of the conveyor forwardly o the Gears -29-. Arranged forwardly of and meshing with the pinions v.---31- arev further spur gears -32- similar to the gears -29-, and these gears- -32- are also carried by 'stub shafts mounted on the sides of the conveyor. Each of the gears -29- is provided with a laterally projecting crank pin 33- operatively connected to the pin 27- of the vcasting -21- atvthe adjacent side of the machine by means of a link 34,- embodying a vertically pivoted end member -35- having one end pivoted on the pin -27- for horizontal swinging movement, and an end member 36- to which thel intermediate melnber of the link is pivoted for relative horizontal swinging movement as at -37, the'member -36- being pivoted for vertical movement on the crank pin -33-- ln other words, the links 341- operatively connect the gathering arms with the crank gears -29- and the pivotal connections at the ends of the links make or form substantially universal joints at these points for allowing the relative angular movement of the parts in both vertical and horizontal directions Which take place when the gears -29- are rotated for swinging the gathering arms about the pins -20- when traveling the arcuate portions of the paths -38- traveled by the tips of said lingers -22-.

lThe gears S2- are provided with outwardly projecting crank pins -39- operatively connected with the adjacent pins -26- of the gathering arms by means of links -40--which are jointed at the ends and pivoted to the pins -39- and 2G- in substantially the same-'manner as described wit-h respect to the links -34-. As shown in Figure 1 the gears 32- are'disposed and maintain a position one quarter of a turn in advance of the gears w29-'so that, for instance, when the pins-BB- are disposed in a horizontal plane with the axes of the gears -29- and rearwardly of the shaft -28, the pins 39- will be in a vertical plane with the axes of the gears -32-.

In operation, the motor -17- is placed into operation for driving they conveyor and for continuously rotating the gears 2Q- and *3Q- in the directionindicated by the varrows in Figure l. Through the pivotally and longitudinally sliding mounting of the gathering arms and thevcrank and link mechanism above described, the gathering fingers are caused to describe substantially -reniform orbits as indicated by broken lines 38 in Figure 2, it being noted that the cranks at one side of the machine are so related to those of the otherside thereof that the operation of the fingers is alternate so that fone is in the act of penetrating the coal at one side lof the apron while the other is in the act of moving some of the coal on to the conveyor. The lingers, in traversing these orbitsl are moved first longitudinally forward to pass into and behind the mass of coal, then laterally and rearfcated by the dotte veyor flight -13-, whereby' a clean and wardly to scrape the coal along the inclined i plane formed by the u per wall of the shoe.18 and on to t e conveyor, after which they recede forwardly Afrom the conveyor to avoidsweeping' of the coal off 'of the latter and with a `quick action to the point of beginnin v .The two gathering arms work alternately 4 and at'each cycle of their movement they sweep over asector-shaped area immediately to conveyor, as mdiarea 1n Flg. 5,. andA in front of the entr complete sweep and 'delivery of coal onto said conveyoris-eiected; The advantage of such action lies inthe fact that no coal that is actuated or gathered by the gathering mechanism is permitted to lie or remain upon the shoe 4-18---, where coa] of a suclieved that the construction and operation :of 'the invention will be readily un ceeding delivery will come into contact with it and cause an undue shattering of the l*coal and a consequent wastage of same.

' From lthe foregoing description it is beerstood by-those skilled inthe art.

parting fromf the yand link mechanisms di ere'ntly.`l

Minor changes may be made without deinvention as claime t f It is notedthatthe form 'of the orbital va'ths' traversed by thegathering arms can e varied by propertionin the drivin gears stance,vv by spacing` pins 26 and 27 closer together and changin the 'size of the crank l' i 1. A ioadingmachineef in dass described A`including an inclined conveyor, and a ,th-

) gears, the paths woul be larger andeextend outwardlytowartl a reater distance.- y

atI claimis: 5

the lsides 'of the machine ering mechanism including` `lingers inc 'nedl [co-incidentall "to theinclinationof said com veyor pivota y andlon 'tudinally slidably" 4mounted at opposite si es of the forwardf'scribed,the1combination with a conveyor-of a'gathering mechanism comprising 'a finger m endof theconveyor,.actuating means to slideA and swing` said lingers to cause the same vto lon itudinally penetrate material in advance of t econveyor and then move laterally and rearwardly to engage saidmaterial-and .movel 1 tony to the conveyor'.l

2. A loading machine' df 4the enligne:

scribed including an inclined conveyor,l and a gathering mechanism including lingers KAnormall inclined in co-incidence with'the inclination of said conveyor, pivotally and" longitudinally sldably mounted at opposite ing means connected to said ,arm at apoint irit and scope of' the-.ering arm to sweep over a sector-shaped orV insides ofl the forward -end of i the conveyor, I

actuating means to slide antL swing said fingers to cause the sameto longitudinally penetrate material in advance of the con-v veyor and then move laterally and rearwardly to'engage said material and move 1t on to the conveyor, 'said actuating .means embodying crank and link mechanism operatively connected tothe lingers.

3.' A loading machine of the class de. scribed including an inclined conveyor, a

gatherin Y mechanism for said conveyor comprojections upon which said arm is mounted, means lmpartlng shdewise movement to said pivot and to the arm carried thereby, actuatspaced laterally from said pivot arranged and voperative to impart movement to said `arm diferentially toA said-slidewise movement, said slidewise and said differential movements co-operatively causing said gatharea, the innerv radius of which coincides and slidably mounted upon the shoe and in l said slideways, and means to slide and swing said gathering arms for causing the -same to movef in non-circular orbital paths to engage material and move it ontoy the con-` veyor.. p 1 6.1 In a loading machineor` the class dearranged to sweep over. a' sector-shaped area adjacent and in front ,ofgtheA entry to 4said conveyor,the inner radiusf'of,` said sectorshaped area,being"coincident` with the lower,

t adjacent 1in-ofthewnveyor flight so tha-,'25

all the material being actuated -byvsaid finger is movedonto said ,-vconveyor, means `causing said finger toexecute said movement which includes a lineally-movable pivot upon which., lsaid linger is mounted,f means causing saidv flight, a pivot slidably carried y one of said pivot to move linelllhA ind additional means 139,51

connected to said finger adjacent and excen` trically to the pivotal point thereof whereby said finger is caused to have movementJ other than that imparted to said pivot, and whereby said finger is caused to execute the movement aforesaid.

'7. A machine of the class described including an inclined conveyor having a shoe at the forward lower end thereof, and a gathering mechanism including av vertically Swingable, normally inclined finger pivotally and slidably mounted adjacent each side of said shoe, a pair of cranks mounted rearwardly ofthe shoe at each side of the conveyor, means to rotate said cranks, and links operatively connected to the cranks and the fingers for moving the latter in non-cir r orbital paths.

8. ln a loading machine of the class described, in combination, a conveyor organization which includes a downwardly-inclined Hight-carrying structure having at its lower end laterally extending portions each provided in its upper face with a slot, a conveyor-fiight` Operating in said carrying structure, a gathering arm mounted upon one of said laterally-extending portions adapted to normally swing in a plane parallel to the inclination of said carrying structure, a downwardly-extending pin carried by said arm positioned and slidable within one yof said slots, an upwardly-extending pin carried by said arm, an actuating device con-v nected to said upwardly-extending pin, an

additional actuating device for said arm connected thereto in laterally-spaced relation to said last-mentioned pin, and means imparting diferentially-reciprocative movements to said actuating devices, and therethrough to said arm whereby said arm is caused to sweep over a sector-shaped area, the inner radius of which is substantially co-incident .With the adjacent line of said conveyor flight.

9. 'lin' a loading machine of the class described, a conveyor, a gathering mechanism adapted to deliver coal to said conveyor including a plurality of fingers and crank operated links for moving the fingers in reniform paths which cross each other, each of' said fingers having a plurality of links attached thereto at different points, operative to impartI relatively differing movements thereto. v

10. In a loading machine of the class de-v scribed, a conveyor organization comprising a carrying structure having a verticallyswinging gathering end provided with lateral extensions, a conveyor flight carried by said structure, a gathering arm for said conveyor having one end thereof mounted upon one of said extensions for lineal sliding movement of said end and. a to-and-fro swinging movement of the other end, said other end of said arm being free and adapted to have vertical swinging movement, means imparting said slidable movement to said arm, and means imparting said to-and-fro swinging movement to said arm, whereby said arm is caused to sweep over a sectorshaped area, the inner radius of which is in substantial co-incidence with the adjacent lower line of said conveyor flight, so as to cause all the material-actuated by said gathering arm to be moved onto said flight.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH F. JOY. 

